Weiss Likes It Rough
by Mallobaude
Summary: Beacon Academy's annual camping trip had come, and Weiss was not having a good time. How was she expected to live and survive in a dirty, hot, and bug-infested forest without the luxuries of modern civilization? She thought she would fail this assignment for sure... until she found help from the last person she would have expected.
1. Chapter 1

The faint rays of dawn had illuminated the heavy fabric of his team's tent. Looking around, it was not enough to disturb the sleep of his teammates. Pyrrha still slept soundly. Ren was as peaceful in his sleep as he was in his waking hours. And Nora... nothing short of a world-ending catastrophe would wake her from her slumber.

For Jaune, however, this was an all too familiar scene. A familiar experience. Being thrust back into it was just like riding a bike. His training kicked in immediately as he finished dressing himself before stepping out into the wild.

Taking in a breath of fresh, morning air, the blonde boy couldn't help but smile. It was just like all those times with his family. Out here in the wilderness with nothing except what he could carry on his back, and what he could find in nature. It was liberating in a way. He would finally get a chance to show everyone just what he was capable of.

It had come time for the annual Beacon camping trip, and Jaune was finally in his element. As huntsmen, there would be times they'd be required to spend days, or even weeks outside the walls of the kingdoms. Alone with nothing but their weapons and their wits to rely on. This was practice for just such an occasion.

He may not have had any fancy prior huntsmen training. He may not have had an overly-complicated weapon. But what he did have was practical real-world experience. This was his domain. This was his time to shine. His chance to wow and amaze his friends. For once in his time at Beacon, he would have a chance to showcase his skills. He would not fail.

Looking around, he saw that he was the only one awake. Team RWBY's tent was still sealed and undisturbed. The remnants of the fire pit which had been created last night sat waiting to be reignited. There was so much to do, but luckily for all of them, he was just the man to do it.

With a confident nod, Jaune flexed his fingers before making a decision on what to do first. "Okay, Jaune," he said softly to himself. "Time to get to work."

* * *

A most unladylike groan slipped through Weiss' lips as she rolled onto her side. Her back was killing her. Even through the heavy fabric of the tent, the sun's rays stung her eyes. This was misery. Utter misery.

Weiss Schnee did not "rough it" in the wilderness. She did not sleep on the ground like some sort of animal. A simple fabric tent offered zero climate control. There were bugs... _everywhere_. This was unacceptable. Simply unacceptable. She had not gone off to Beacon Academy in order to go on a stupid camping trip!

What in the world were those in charge at Beacon thinking? On what planet did it make sense to force their students out on some sort of camping retreat in order to hone their huntsmen skills? They hadn't even seen a single creature of Grimm since arriving the previous evening. This was stupid. This was beyond stupid. It was criminal.

Weiss sat up before she began digging through her bag to produce a small cosmetic mirror. Looking at her reflection, she was mortified at what she saw. Faint dark bags hung under her eyes. Her hair was a mess. And without any sort of running water, there would be no chance in fixing it. This weekend could not end quickly enough.

Her attention was drawn outside where she heard the faint sounds of activity. Looking around, she saw that all of her teammates were still asleep. Who could it be? _What_ could it be? A wild animal? Perhaps even an Ursa? Weiss shook her head to dispel such crazy thoughts. More likely than not it was someone from Team JNPR. Probably Pyrrha. She of all people would probably be awake right now, doing something to prepare for the torturous day of camping that was ahead. It only made sense that the champion would be proficient at everything that she did.

Not bothering to change her clothes, Weiss stepped outside in her modest nightgown. The horror of uncivilized nature looked even worse in daylight than it had last night. All around them was... nothing. Trees. Plants. How would they ever survive three whole days without civilization and technology?

And then she saw the source of the noise. It hadn't been Pyrrha at all. It had been _Jaune_ of all people. He was sitting down on a large, fallen tree trunk next to the fire pit. What was he even doing awake? And what smelled so good?

"What are you doing?" she asked as she took a few steps over to the small fire that was burning. Had he lit it himself?

"Oh, good morning, Weiss," he replied. There was a certain energy and positivity in his voice which the girl found grating at this time of morning. He was seemingly having a much better time than she was. Probably because he was unused to the sort of expectations and luxuries that she was. "You're up early."

The heiress scowled, but the fact that Jaune had not turned to even look at her prevented him from seeing it. "Of course I am," she grumbled. "It's hot. There are mosquitoes. And one can hardly be expected to sleep soundly on the grass like a dog."

"Ah, sorry to hear that," he said as he finally turned to give her a somber smile. "But if it makes you feel any better, I'm making some breakfast right now." He scratched his cheek, giving off a sound akin to rubbing sandpaper across a smooth surface.

The fire flickered, casting new light across his face. Enough to reveal the light blonde stubble growing on his cheeks and neck. His face... he hadn't shaved. Was this what Jaune looked like when he hadn't shaved for a day or two?

Weiss swallowed hard.

How uncouth. Barbaric. Nothing like the clean-shaven and pristine-looking young men from Atlas. Nothing like how Jaune normally looked at Beacon Academy.

She got a look at the fingers which had just touched his face. Darkened with dirt. Filthy, presumably from carrying firewood which he had used to start the camp fire he currently sat beside. From doing the hard physical labor required to build and start the fire.

His boots were covered in mud. Klein would freak out if he saw the boy within fifty feet of her. If there was even the slightest possibility of his precious little snowflake becoming sullied by the filth and grime of the outdoors.

Had the temperature suddenly increased? It felt incredibly hot. Stupid forest.

"Are you hungry?"

The girl was snapped from her thoughts. She attempted to speak, but her voice was lost in her throat when she attempted to respond to him. Since when had he become so rugged? So manly? So... sexy?

"Weiss? Are you okay?"

She averted her gaze from the boy as she cleared her throat. "Yes. Of course," she said forcefully.

It must have been the lack of sleep. It must have been the environment messing with her mind. A momentary loss of sanity. As if she would ever find anything about this whole situation appealing. As if anything that Jaune Arc of all people did would stir any kind of emotion inside of her other than annoyance and disdain.

Still... even sitting down, the aura of confidence he exuded was almost palpable. This was not the same awkward and incompetent teen she had come to know from Beacon. This was a boy who clearly knew what he was doing. There were a pair of pots suspended over the fire. How had he managed that? And just what was inside of them?

"You wanna sit down?" he asked, motioning to the unused portion of the tree trunk on which he sat.

Weiss blanched. And get her nightgown filthy?

Her eyes widened. Only now did she remember that she was standing before Jaune in her night clothes. Yet he hadn't commented. He hadn't stared at her. He hadn't made any indication that he noticed at all.

Was she merely being self-conscious? After all, she had worn the very same clothes the night before Beacon's initiation. Still, that was before she had found out that anyone harbored feelings for her like Jaune did. What if he was checking her out? Staring at her silky-smooth legs? At her modest bust not confined by a bra? Would he do such a thing? Would that rough, unshaven face of his stare at her like an animal which had just sighted its next meal?

She shook her head. _Stop thinking things like that!_ she ordered her mind. She was not about to start rebelling in such a manner. She must have been sick. It must have been the forest air. She was not attracted to beards. Or chopping wood. Or foraging for food. Or roughing it in the wilderness. No. Not at all. It wasn't because this kind of thing was completely foreign to her and she wanted to rebel against the constraints of Atlesian society. Nope. Not at all.

Wait. Since when had her legs moved on their own? How was she suddenly sitting next to Jaune on that stupid, dirty fallen tree?

She didn't know how she had gotten there, but it wasn't like she could just up and leave now. Best to make some sort of conversation in order to break the awkward silence. "So..." she started softly. "I take it you're experienced in this sort of thing?"

Jaune shrugged softly. "Yeah. Me and my family went camping every year outside of Mistral. I guess I'm kinda what you'd call a pro at this."

Weiss scooted over an inch closer to him. "Really? That's so nice to hear."

"Yup," he agreed happily. "So once I was here I just kinda reverted back into camper Jaune mode. I woke up at dawn. Saw everyone else was still asleep, so I made a fire. Making some breakfast right now too."

Yes. He had mentioned something about breakfast before her mind had begun wandering. That must have been what the smell was. "What are we having?"

"Sadly nothing too great. Just some oatmeal from the dry packets Beacon gave us. Used some water from the river over that way," he said as he jabbed a thumb back over his shoulder.

Her face scrunched up. "River water? That sounds gross."

"A little, I guess," he agreed. "It'll never be as clean as the stuff we get from the tap. But if you boil it first you'll at least kill all the bad stuff that could be swimming around in there. And in the oatmeal you couldn't even tell that there's a little dirt in it."

Weiss supposed that made sense. She was forced to agree with his assessment. She was surprised he even knew that boiling water would kill most organic contaminants. Then again, he had said he was experienced in this sort of thing. Perhaps she should put her trust in his abilities this weekend. There was a first time for everything, after all.

"But I have a plan to get us some fresh food later today. Fish to be exact."

Weiss felt her mouth begin to water. "You can do that?"

Fish happened to be one of the staple foods in a typical Atlesian diet. In the harsh and cold environment, it was one of the only food sources the people could acquire in large numbers prior to the invention of agri-domes. As a result, Weiss was used to fish. Weiss _loved_ fish. Perhaps as much as Blake herself loved tuna.

"Easy enough. Just need to make a rod. Dig up some worms or other bugs for bait. We'll catch a few fish and cook 'em over the fire for lunch."

Her heart was pounding inside her head. This... him... he would be her lifeline. Jaune Arc would be the way that she would survive this horrible weekend. "That sounds wonderful," she said with unrestrained joy.

A goofy grin spread across his face, causing his stubble to catch her attention once again. "Glad you think so. I'm surprised, you seem in a much better mood already."

Of course she was. For the first time since arriving in this wasteland, Weiss felt good about her chances of surviving. She had found someone who knew how to survive out in the wild. Someone who had experience in camping. Jaune knew what he was doing. This was his field of expertise. She didn't care if he wasn't her partner. She didn't care if he wasn't even on her team. Pyrrha and Ruby could be partners for the next three days, and if they didn't like it then tough! Weiss' mind was made up.

If spending every waking moment with this boy meant that her life would be easier, then she would gladly cling to him all weekend long.

And it had nothing to do with the fact that he was growing that rugged, manly beard!

She saw as Jaune grabbed one of the pots which hung over the fire. "I made some coffee to help wake us up," he said with a smile. "There's some sugar packets in my bag."

Weiss' mind shattered. Coffee... sweet, delicious coffee. With sugar.

He grabbed an empty cup and reached out to hand it to her. Weiss moved even closer next to him in order to accept it. Closer than necessary. Despite the lack of deodorant, he smelled wonderful this morning.

"Two sugars, right?"

"...Yes." she replied meekly. She had no idea how, but he remembered how she took her coffee. That just meant that this partnership was meant to be. They were in sync. No one would stand in their way.

Rummaging through the backpack next to him, Jaune produced a pair of packets and handed them to Weiss. She looked down at them as if they were filled with lien. She hadn't had any expectations that she would be allowed to enjoy any sort of luxuries while on this asinine camping trip. But here Jaune was, providing one of her favorites for her.

Yes... providing. Jaune was a provider. A hunter. A man who in ancient times on Remnant would be able to provide for and protect a family. One who would have ensured his genes would pass on to the next-

"Careful, it's hot."

"No it's not!" she screamed.

Weiss looked up to see visible confusion on Jaune's face. He was holding one of the pots which had been hanging over the fire. "Uh... yeah. The coffee is hot," he said motioning to it with his head. "I was going to pour you some, but since the cup you're holding is metal I wanted you to be careful."

Her face grew warmer than it had already been at Jaune's explanation. Yes. Of course. That's what he meant. It wasn't like men who were proficient in surviving the outdoors were hot. It wasn't as if she found the idea of being self-sufficient attractive. It wasn't that the skills and demeanor Jaune was exhibiting was the exact opposite of all the stuffy, pampered and utterly useless men she had ever met in Atlas.

Men like her father. The man would be absolutely livid if he could see her right now. Out here in the woods getting _dirty_. Spending time alone with a _boy._ One who would not have lived up to his high expectations. One who could catch and prepare his own food. One who didn't need to rely on servants. One who didn't attend parties and galas.

Why was it so hot out here?

"Indeed," she said, desperately trying to salvage the situation. "Yes. The coffee." She motioned with her fingers for him to give her some. "Hurry up then."

Tearing open the two sugar packets, Weiss deposited their contents into her cup before Jaune poured in the hot liquid. It didn't smell all that great. And upon taking a sip, it didn't taste the best either. Instant coffee never did. But at least it was _coffee_. A small reminder of the life and civilization she had been forced to leave behind.

Despite its quality, it was still the sweetest thing her taste buds could have imagined on this morning.

And it was all thanks to Jaune. His experiences. His skills.

He would be hers for the weekend, and no one else's.

* * *

Yang had slept like a rock. When she had woken up, she was surprised to see that Weiss of all people was missing from the tent. Had she already woken up? Maybe she had to use the bathroom. She had to remind herself quickly that there was no bathroom. Yang could not imagine the world of horrors that Weiss was about to experience over the coming weekend.

A pampered princess like herself would have had no experience in the outdoors. Forget that Atlas was a frozen tundra. Even if she had grown up in the most temperate climate on Remnant, she would not have spent a single night outside. And while Yang was no expert herself, she at least had _some_ experience in camping. If one could call spending the night inside a tent twenty feet away from her house camping, that was.

When she stepped outside she saw a number of sights which surprised her. Not only Weiss was up, but Jaune was as well. And they were sitting next to each other by the fire pit which had been reignited. Nice. Jaune did indeed have some skills. It didn't stop there, however. They were eating something. Drinking something. Conversing about something. It was like all their prior history had been wiped away for a clean slate. Weiss was willingly talking to him. She was willingly sitting right next to him. Like... _right_ next to him.

Interesting...

"Hey guys, what's up!" Yang greeted warmly as she stretched out her arms.

Her sudden arrival must have startled Weiss, who immediately stood up from her spot on the large log next to the fire. She walked a few steps before looking up. "Good morning, Yang." The heiress briefly glanced back over to the fire where Jaune still sat. "There's oatmeal and coffee if you're interested."

"Nice. You did that?"

"No. That was... Jaune."

In all honesty Yang knew the answer before she asked the question, but she was merely being courteous. It didn't surprise her that it had been Jaune to prepare the fire and food this morning. Not after what he had done the previous night.

"Yup," the boy agreed with a smile. "It's not the best, but at least it's hot and fresh. It'll do until this afternoon."

That was curious. "Oh? What's this afternoon?"

"Nothing!" Weiss said hurriedly. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

Yang frowned. Now she was even more curious. Weiss was acting very strange. A look over at Jaune showed that he was just as confused as she was, so it wasn't some sort of inside joke they were both in on. Of course not. Weiss wasn't the kind to joke with anyone. Least of all Jaune.

"Okay..." she said before moving back to the previous topic. "So there's enough for all eight of us?"

"Definitely," the boy confirmed. "But with how bland it is I doubt anyone will want seconds."

The blonde girl chuckled. "Hey, food is food, right? You won't see any of us complaining." She turned her attention to Weiss, who was now standing close to her, gripping her cup of coffee. "Well, except for this one. Honestly, Weiss, I'm surprised you're not complaining about all this camping stuff."

The look of regal superiority Weiss so often wore slipped onto her face, as if it was some sort of defense mechanism to Yang's verbal barb. "As a matter of fact, I happen to be far more durable than you might think. Besides, Jaune is proving to be quite the capable outdoorsman."

Yang couldn't argue with that. He had been the one who directed them on how and where to set up camp last night. "You're right about that. Jaune pitches a really nice tent, doesn't he?"

Weiss practically choked on her coffee mid-sip. "I wasn't looking!"

Lilac eyes blinked. "...What?"

Her teammate looked like she had been caught red-handed committing some sort of crime. "What?"

The blonde pointed over to the tent which they had both slept in. "Uh... the tent?" she explained. "He did a really good job setting it up."

Weiss followed where she had motioned before looking back to Yang. Visible embarrassment was etched onto her features. "Yes. Of course. _That_ tent. Quite nice indeed."

Yang was confused. "Of course I meant that tent. What other tent would I be talking about? Juniper's?"

"I don't know," Weiss said defensively. "I don't look at other people's tents. I don't _think_ about other people's tents. I'm not some sort of weirdo like you are, Yang!"

Weiss stomped off in a huff, not even waiting for a chance for Yang to respond. In a way she was happy for it. It was way too early in the morning to deal with whatever was going on.

Maybe all of this nature was indeed getting to Weiss. She seemed... off. Distracted. Irritable. She wasn't quite acting like herself. The poor girl. Oh well. She wasn't about to let Weiss' weirdness get to her. Not when her stomach was growling. Whatever issues Weiss was having could be dealt with on a full stomach.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** So this dumb little idea was inspired by something Miles and Kara joked about at RTX. If Jaune grew a beard, then he might have a chance with Weiss. So it's now my accepted headcanon that Weiss gets all hot and bothered by beards. Or just, rugged, manly, non-Atlesian type things.

Anyway, there's more to come with this short story idea. I'm thinking 2-3 chapters total. I hope you enjoyed it.


	2. Chapter 2

Weiss was having a good day. As good a day possible, at the very least.

Morning had come and gone, and she had feasted upon her bland oatmeal and disgusting instant coffee as if they were gourmet cuisine prepared by one of her family's chefs. The fact of the matter was that she was next to helpless in this sort of environment. She knew this. She also knew what she had to do as a result.

Since Jaune had proven to be not only competent, but actually adept at surviving the outdoors, she had made it her personal mission to spend every waking moment with him to ensure her own comfort and well-being. That meant being by his side no matter where he went. It meant monopolizing his time, even at the expense of his own team. So when it had come time for lunch, Weiss insisted that he take her with to go fishing. He had, after all, confided in her about it first. It was only fair that she accompany him in order for him to teach her the tricks of the trade.

That may have been a mistake.

Weiss stood there watching as he knelt in the dirt with his hands digging through the soil looking for worms. Lifting up large rocks to find a vile cornucopia of insects. All of these were picked out and placed in a small container he had brought with from camp. The fact that he was touching those disgusting creatures sent shivers down her spine, and bile up her throat. But she would not succumb to it. Weiss Schnee did not admit to weakness. Especially not from something as insignificant as insects and vermin. At least not aloud...

 _Look at how filthy his hands are,_ she thought with revulsion. _How can he be so uncaring about digging through the soil? Touching those... things. It's no wonder I've rejected him time and time again if these are the kinds of things his hands have done._

And yet he showed no signs of it affecting him. To Jaune, this seemed like a normal activity like studying or training at Beacon. She couldn't imagine doing the same. Getting so... filthy. Down on her knees digging through the dirt. Hands running through pristine white hair with no thought of her beautiful tresses becoming tainted. So dirty... so in desperate need of a long, hot shower to cleanse herself...

"Alright," the boy said as he stood up, holding onto the container lightly in one hand. "I think that's enough bait for now."

Thank the gods. Weiss didn't know how much longer she would be able to stand there watching him sully his hands. Doing a job that she knew that she could never do. Making her think such things that she never would have dreamed of had she not been out here in the wild with him.

"So now we get fish?" she asked hopefully. At the same time she hoped she didn't sound too eager. Too much like Blake. However, she was hungry. Hungry for real food. Food which Jaune had promised her that he could provide.

"Yup," he agreed happily before he began walking. The river was only about twenty feet away, and the walk to where he had left his makeshift fishing rod took only a few seconds. The trees around them provided good shade to sit under while they fished.

Jaune placed the container down and grabbed one of the earthworms before grasping the fishing line. More specifically the hook.

And plunged the things writhing body onto it.

Weiss audibly gagged and looked away. He had done it without hesitation. Without a second thought. She knew that she would have had one. More than one in fact. Even if she had been able to touch one of the slimy things, could she have put it on the hook? Weiss had no problem slaying the creatures of Grimm. But a living animal like that? Even if it was just a worm...

Jaune was a man who did what needed to be done. Even if it was ugly. Even if it was brutal. If he was indeed affected by the deed, he showed no sign of it. The strong, stoic and silent type. Not at all like the bumbling oaf he was at Beacon. A man on a mission. A man who would do anything for her happiness. To satisfy her...

"You okay?"

His voice brought her back to reality. She was still looking in the opposite direction as Jaune. It took her a moment to regain her confidence. "Of course," she said firmly. "I was merely admiring the scenery. It's not often I was able to enjoy nature to this degree in Atlas."

What a bold-faced lie that was. On multiple levels.

"Oh, yeah," he replied. "Even going on field trips to Forever Fall, it's not often you can just kinda relax like this. We haven't run into a single Grimm out here yet. Hopefully it stays that way."

"Indeed."

Weiss was watching Jaune intently as he sat next to the river. She cast all thoughts about the worm from her mind. The strong would survive. The weak would die. That was the law of nature, after all. And Jaune just happened to be on top of the food chain. He was a man who knew how to catch, scale and cook fish. He would provide for them. He would provide for _her_.

Icy blue eyes regarded a face which was completely focused on the task at hand. His own eyes were locked onto the water below. Had his scruffy facial hair grown in the past few hours? She knew it was impossible, and yet she could not help but look at it and wonder.

A hand drifted up to her own smooth, porcelain cheek and gently rubbed it. Not at all what his must have felt like. What _did_ it feel like? Was it rough? Soft like the hair on her head? She had never felt a man's beard before. Her own father only sported a mustache. Not that he had ever given any sort of fatherly affection to her where she might know what it feels like...

What would it feel like to be kissed by Jaune in his current state? To have a coarse, sandpapery cheek rub against hers? A shiver ran through her body at the thought of something so rough caressing her own perfect, smooth skin.

Weiss' hand fell from her face, and tentatively reached out with it. Just a little touch... just to slightly graze his cheek. She just wanted to know. She just wanted-

"Hey, Weiss?"

Her outstretched hand whipped back, coming up to scratch her cheek as if that had been her intention all along. "Yes?"

"You wanna hold the rod?"

Her eyes widened. "T-that's not true!"

Jaune gave her a curious look. "What's not true?"

She was at a loss for what to say. It took a moment for her brain to begin functioning properly again, and for it to connect the dots. Her eyes darted back and forth between his own and the fishing rod held in his hands.

Her cheeks darkened as she looked down to her combat skirt, and her knees which were clenched together tightly. "Oh, right. Yes. I will give it a try."

Anything was better than harping on the current discussion... even if she was the only one who knew it was occurring.

Jaune handed her the rod, and it was in this moment that Weiss realized how much larger his hands were than hers. They dwarfed her own. He could most likely comfortably fit both of hers inside one of his palms. She didn't even care that there was dirt underneath his fingernails. That they had been responsible for skewering that worm on the fish hook. Right now these were the hands which were responsible for protecting and providing for her. Sullied with hard and honest work. The kind she would have never seen in Atlas. How she hated Atlas and the people who inhabited it... and Jaune was the antithesis of them.

She imagined what her father's face would look like if she brought Jaune home. Complete with his filthy clothes and dirt-covered hands. Oh what a wonderful sight that would be. For the first time in her life she would welcome the screaming and yelling. She would take absolute delight in the beautiful cacophony. She would revel in just how _bad_ for her Jaune would be... like some blue collar worker from Mantle. Father would despise the boy...

"Careful," he warned her. "Hold on tight."

 _He wants you to hold onto his rod tight..._ She shook her head. _No! Stop it!_

Weiss' fingers clenched around the fishing rod, he knuckles turning white in the process. Oh yes, she was holding on tight, but not because he had told her too. No. It was out of embarrassment. Out of stress. Out of...

She shook her head again. No. Not now. She had a task to do, and she would not be interrupted by such lewd thoughts!

Thankfully they were disrupted by a tug on the line. Her eyes lit up with excitement. "Jaune! Something's pulling!"

"Great! You got one!"

"What do I do!"

"Reel it in," he said before amending himself. "Err, pull it in, since this thing doesn't have a reel on it."

The simple fishing rod consisted of only a long tree branch and some wire with a hook on the end. It was as rudimentary as possible, and yet evidently it got the job done.

Weiss used all of her might to rip the line out of the water, and with it came an object attached to it. Once the line had settled, she saw that it was a silver-scaled fish about as long as her forearm. To her that was a massive score, but to someone like Jaune with his large, muscular arms...

She was thankfully interrupted once more as Jaune spoke. "You know how to get it off the hook?"

She focused on the fish as it thrashed about, its mouth pierced by the hook. "Of course not!"

"You wanna try?"

Her head shook wildly. "No! It's so slimy and gross!"

Jaune shrugged, taking hold of the rod from her with one hand and the fish with the other. With a slight twist he pulled it off without tearing open its mouth, and proceeded to drop it into a bucket filled with water next to them.

"Welp, one down," he said as he grabbed another worm from the box. "Let's get a few more before we head back."

Weiss nodded as she looked at the fish in the bucket. It had precious little room to swim. Soon enough it would get even more crowded. A frown slipped on her face. As much as she had felt immense pride in catching the thing only moments earlier, it dawned upon her that this fish would soon die. It would die in order to sustain her.

She had never truly considered that her food had once been a living, breathing creature. Of course she _knew_ that food like fish didn't just grow on trees. Perhaps it was more that she just didn't care to think about such things. Someone, somewhere out there did this sort of thing for a living. Someone caught the fish. Someone gutted and scaled it. They turned it into raw meat for her family's chefs to prepare for her. By the time it reached her plate, it was unrecognizable from the living creature swimming around in front of her.

That meant he would have to kill it... Jaune Arc was going to take the lives of these fish. For himself. For her...

She looked up to regard the boy at the forefront of her thoughts.

There was newfound appreciation for the boy in her mind. He would be responsible for providing for her. He may not have been the best huntsman or student, but he was a survivor in ways that she could never hope to be. All the skill and huntsman training in the world wouldn't matter if she were ever stranded alone in the wilderness on a mission. She would starve. Die of exposure. But not Jaune. They would be the perfect team. The perfect union. With her knowledge and training, and his practical skills, there was no task they could not overcome.

"Weiss... you ever get the feeling you're being watched?"

The heiress quickly shifted her focus back to the fish. "No I wasn't!"

"Huh?"

She looked back up to him, as if she hadn't been staring at him just now. "Nothing. Don't worry about it."

There was nothing _to_ worry about. They were just fishing. Nothing more, nothing less. Honestly he had to get such crazy notions about her watching him out of her mind. Because she w _asn't_. And even if she was, there was nothing wrong with being appreciative over the person who was working so hard in order to feed her delicious, freshly caught fish for lunch.

"I dunno," he said as he pulled the rod out of the water, revealing another large, silver fish. "Just have that feeling the back of my mind, you know? It was something Pyrrha was once telling me about back when she was talking about Aura."

"Well clearly she's wrong," Weiss insisted. "Because I can assure you no one was watching you!"

Jaune frowned as he looked at her. "You okay? Do you need to head back to the campsite?"

 _And lose my claim on the biggest fish we catch? I don't think so..._ "I'm fine," she decided to say instead. "Let us continue. We still have several more fish to catch in order to have enough for everyone."

He nodded, casting the newly prepared line back into the water. Had he noticed her staring? Of course not. He had asked her a question, not pointed an accusatory finger at her. Or maybe he was just being polite. Maybe the question was his way of alerting her to the fact that he knew she was staring at him. It was exactly the kind of roundabout accusation someone in Atlas would have made.

But they weren't in Atlas. And Jaune wasn't from Atlas. He wouldn't play that sort of game. No, he knew nothing. He saw nothing. All he had to do was continue to be a good little fisherman. A skilled outdoorsman. A big, strong, dirty, rugged, rustic-

"There you guys are!" a new voice shouted from behind them. Weiss' head whipped around to see her partner emerge from the tree line. "You two kinda just disappeared, and we were all wondering where-"

Instinct kicked into overdrive, and Weiss grabbed hold of Jaune's arm protectively. "He's mine! Get your own fish!"

Silver eyes widened as Ruby stopped in her tracks. "Huh?"

Fingers squeezed down on hoodie-clad flesh, as Weiss clung to her new partner selfishly. "We're catching fish, and I get the biggest one. Right, Jaune?"

A look of shock and confusion that mirrored Ruby's own was etched onto the blonde boy's face. "Uh... sure?"

Weiss nodded triumphantly, as if his words were the only confirmation she needed. "See? You just... back off!"

Ruby wasn't about to swoop in and take Jaune away from her. Weiss knew that the two were close. They had been friends since the very first day of Beacon. Yes, they had a history. It was only natural that the two friends would be close on a little camping trip like this. But too bad! Weiss had already claimed him and his talents for herself. She wasn't about to let that... that... _child_ stand in the way of her and her happiness. Jaune would make her happy, and therefore he was hers! Weiss Schnee did not share!

"Oh...kay..." Ruby said as she held her hands up defensively. "Just wanted to know where you guys went. Thought maybe Blake might be with you. I haven't seen her in a while either."

Right now Weiss couldn't care less about Blake. It wasn't as if Blake would have an interest in Jaune's talents.

"Well we haven't. It's just been Jaune and me here all day. Alone. As it should be. Happy?"

"Yeah..." Ruby said uneasily as she took a quick step back. "I'll just leave you two alone then. Have, uh, fun. Okay?"

Weiss nodded forcefully. "Oh we will. We're going to have a great, _great_ time on this camping trip! And no one is going to stop me!"

Her true partner chuckled nervously. "Yeah. Great!" she echoed. "I'll see you later then."

Without waiting for a response, Ruby fled back into the trees. Good. How dare that little girl try to disrupt her plans for survival. How dare she try to infringe on her fish. On her survival partner. On her-

"Weiss? You can let go, you know."

Only then did Weiss realize that she was still clinging to Jaune's arm. That her face was mere inches away from his.

From that scruffy, stubbled face of his.

Her breath hitched in her throat.

 _Touch it!_ her mind screamed. _Just once! Just to know what it feels like!_

Her mind ordered one thing, but her body did the opposite. She relinquished her hold on his arm and moved several feet away from him. "I apologize," she spoke deliberately. "I must have gotten startled by her sudden appearance."

"It's... it's fine," he said uncomfortably. Jaune cleared his throat, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. "See? I told you we were being watched."

So it seemed. Had Ruby been watching them? Spying on them before her presence had been revealed? Her partner was weird, but she wouldn't have thought Ruby was _that_ weird.

Soon enough they had caught eight good-sized fish, and it was time to go. By this point the bucket was quite heavy, and it would take Jaune both hands in order to carry it back to the camp. That left Weiss with the task of carrying the rod. As they stood up and began walking back, a sudden splash of water from the river caused them both to turn around.

"What the-" Jaune said, his eyes staring at the river. "What was that?"

Weiss' own eyes scanned the scenery. "I don't know. Perhaps a tree branch fell into the water?"

He shrugged. "I guess. Glad we weren't around when it hit though. The last thing we need is to get wet."

She nodded in silent agreement. Yes. The last thing she needed was to get wet again.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I can't thank you all enough for the amazing support for such a crack story idea. Weiss is a dirty girl filled with dirty thoughts. And it's so fun to write. Hopefully it was fun to read.


	3. Chapter 3

Another day. Another bucket of fish.

Weiss was trudging along through the forest behind Jaune, who was carrying their tasty lunch for the day. After experiencing the sheer and utter bliss of freshly cooked fish the previous day, she could feel the saliva building in her mouth and the rumbling in her stomach. This right here was far better than the awful, bland, dry foods that Beacon had equipped them with for this trip. If there was ever a time where Weiss did have to spend and extended time outside of the kingdoms, the lack of proper foods would probably kill her before the elements. Before the Grimm.

This was why sticking close to Jaune was of paramount importance. It was just a shame his partnership was already claimed by someone else.

"So how're you holding up, Weiss?" he suddenly asked, not bothering to look over at her.

She was hungry. Dirty. Eaten by mosquitoes. But other than that? "I'm fine, thank you," she replied politely. She looked down to the heavy bucket he carried. Filled with water and fish. She couldn't find it in herself to complain knowing what would be coming soon. "A nice meal will make things even better," she added.

"Yup, food does that sort of thing," Jaune agreed. "It's the best medicine." He paused. "Well, after real medicine, I guess. And laughter. Maybe Aura too? Is Aura considered medicine? It heals you and stuff. I dunno. I think I'm just rambling."

Yes. Yes he was. But Weiss didn't care. He could ramble all he wanted so long as he filled her up. With fish! Yes. With fish. And _only_ fish.

"And I have a nice little surprise in store for us all tonight," he continued. "To celebrate the last night we're spending out here. I was saving it to sort of help lift our spirits, I guess. But things have been going better than expected, so I suppose we haven't needed it."

A surprise? That piqued Weiss' interest, as she moved closer next to Jaune and tugged on his sleeve. It earned his full attention, and he looked over to her. "What kind of surprise?" she asked. She wanted to ask if it was more food, but didn't want to come off as some sort of desperate glutton.

Jaune cleared his throat, turning away as her shoulder brushed up against his arm as they walked. "Well if I told you it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"

Weiss frowned. She wanted nothing more than to conjure a glyph under him and send the boy flying up into the tree canopy above. But then the fish would go with him. The fish would be lost. Her stomach, and her taste buds, would suffer as a result.

Therefore she would humor him and his childish little surprise.

The rustling of the tree branches around them earned Weiss' attention, her head snapping over in the direction of the noise. And yet, there was nothing. A squirrel perhaps. Or a bird. Regardless, Weiss felt as though Jaune was right about something for the first time in his life.

She did feel like she was being watched.

"You alright?" he asked.

Weiss didn't reply immediately. Instead her head moved as if on a swivel, taking in the endless trees all around her. Looking up at a ceiling of branches and leaves. All the while she saw nothing but the natural wonders that surrounded her. "I'm fine," she said for the second time in this conversation. "However, I think you might be correct. I can't shake the feeling that we're being-"

She never got a chance to finish as her leg suddenly gave out from under her, and Weiss tumbled down to the dirt and assorted plants in a crumpled heap. She cried out, both from pain and the suddenness of the fall, and the girl found herself sitting on her backside.

"Weiss!" Jaune called out as he set the bucket down. "Are you okay?"

Her ankle throbbed. Looking down she saw that the heel on her right shoe had broken clean off. She saw it sticking out of a hole a couple feet away from her, as if mocking her for not paying attention to her surroundings. Stupid forest. Stupid nature. Stupid camping trip!

"I think so," she replied gingerly. Just when she was about to try to stand, Jaune reached a hand down for her to grab on to. She took hold of it appreciatively and allowed herself to be pulled up by him.

And by the gods, was he strong. She nearly gasped by how quickly and effortlessly he lifted her back to her feet. With one arm, no less.

Weiss leaned on his shoulder, hesitant to put any weight on her right foot. It still hurt, and she was concerned that she had sprained her ankle.

"Are you hurt?" he asked.

"My ankle. It twisted when my heel broke."

"Could be sprained," he mused, agreeing with her own silent sentiments. "You want me to check you out?"

It would only be fair. She had been checking him out for the past two-

 _Stop it!_ she ordered herself. "No," she protested. "That won't be necessary."

"Are you sure? It would only take a few seconds." He pointed over to a log. "You could just sit there and I'd give it a feel to check for swelling."

He wanted to sit her down and run his strong hands along her smooth, gorgeous legs? Out here in the middle of nowhere? Where no one would see? Where no one would hear? Weiss didn't need to be threatened with a good time twice.

 _No! Bad!_

She did not find rustic, handyman, survivor Jaune attractive! She did not need to be rescued or tended to by this practical, knowledgeable outdoorsman! She was not some damsel in distress! Nor did she find the idea of playing the part of one in some sort of fantasy appealing in any way! Not one bit!

"It's fine," she told him.

"Okay. Can you walk?"

There was the million lien question. Using him as a crutch, Weiss gingerly set her right foot down to test the strength of her ankle. It felt...

Just fine.

Her Aura must have made quick work of healing any injury that might have occurred. She would be able to walk with no issues at all.

"I can't," she lied, the words slipping out of her mouth with no hesitation. "I'm afraid you will just have to carry me back to camp."

The boy's body stiffened. "I can just walk with you like we-"

"No!" she insisted. Both a little too loudly and quickly. "You must carry me." _Like a princess_ , her mind continued.

Yes. Just like a princess. And he would be her heroic knight. No, not a knight. The princess and the knight got married all the time in fairy tales. It was normal. Expected. Approved.

No... Jaune was a peasant. A filthy, scruffy peasant. One whom the princess could never hope to be with. One whom the king would have executed for looking at his precious daughter the wrong way. One whom she would choose to run away with regardless of how wrong and taboo it was.

He would take his lady by the hand and lead her to the barn on his commoner farm and take her then and there upon a pile of hay. He would stand up for her to the king even under the pain of death. He would stand by her months later when her growing baby bump-

"Is this really what you want?"

Weiss' mind snapped back to reality. "O-of course not!" she reacted immediately, shaking her head to clear it of such traitorous thoughts.

Perhaps this was what Winter had lectured her about when she had been caught reading one of the woman's trashy romance novels, Cold Heart, Hot Love. Some subjects were just not fit for proper ladies such as herself. They were too risqué for a young, impressionable mind. This was a result of delving into such filth.

"So... walk or carry?" he asked.

"Carry," she confirmed, not at all regretting the decision. Not at all regretting the filth. "A forest is no place for high heels, clearly."

Jaune chuckled. "Yup. Wish you had realized that before you broke one and fell."

 _But then you wouldn't be carrying me..._ She shook her head. _Stop it!_

His free hand reached up to scratch his cheek. The sound of sandpaper sent chills down Weiss' spine. "Okay, sure," he conceded. "Uh, so do I just-"

"One hand under my back, and the other under my knees, and sweep me off my feet," she ordered. "I mean pick me up off my feet!" she corrected herself.

"Sure..."

"And don't forget the fish," she insisted as she reached an arm around Jaune's neck. For security. Yes. Security.

Not at all to finally feel the rough texture of his facial stubble. Her cheek rubbed against his as she adjusted herself and sought to 'get more comfortable' in his arms.

She closed her eyes and smiled stupidly. His beard was wonderful. It was bliss. Its crude and barbaric texture was everything she had hoped it would be.

"Yeah... right..." he said nervously as he bent down to grab the bucket.

Strong enough to hold both her, and the bucket handle which was slung down his arm at the elbow.

The nervousness in Jaune's voice reflected the butterflies Weiss felt in her own stomach. She had never been treated this way by a man before. At least not in this kind of context. It was one thing for Klein to carry a young and weary Weiss off to her bedroom when she had fallen asleep in the parlor. Klein had practically raised her. He had been the father she deserved. The one who tucked her into bed at night. The one who read her bedtime stories. One of the few people she knew truly cared for her and her happiness.

But the way Jaune was carrying her right now... he was her _daddy_.

And she reveled in it. It was so naughty. So taboo. So rebellious...

Every rebellion was just another slap in her father's face. To imagine the look on his face to know that his daughter was being carried by some half-witted, scruffy-looking huntsman like Jaune was priceless. Maybe someday she would have to introduce her father to her peasant knight in ragged armor. Just to see how he would react.

Not because she had fallen for the boy or anything like that. Not because she was attracted to someone who stood for the exact opposite of her Atlesian upbringing. That was just ridiculous. It was all just a phase. A stupid, teenage rebellious phase. And a stupid forest. Yes. She would be all better once this camping trip was over.

It was just a shame it would be over the next day.

* * *

Night had fallen upon the camp, and with it came the tormented cries of her partner.

Ruby noted the absence of Weiss as she sat with everyone else around the camp fire. Jaune had produced packages of graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars so that everyone could enjoy eating delicious s'mores during their final night out in the wilderness. Everyone was enjoying themselves, except for Weiss. Ruby wondered just what was going on. She wondered why her bestie was missing out on the tasty treats Jaune had brought.

Another frustrated groan came from the tent in which the heiress had sequestered herself, earning reactions from everyone around the fire. "Is she going to be okay?" Pyrrha asked worriedly.

Ruby honestly didn't know. But she should probably find out. "I'll go see what's wrong," she said as she stood up. "I hope she didn't eat anything bad." She turned to Jaune. "We don't have any kind of stomach medicine, do we?"

The boy shook his head mournfully. "Ah, nope. I didn't think about anything like that..."

She nodded before stepping away. Seconds later she was at her team's tent, and opened up the flap to step inside.

Weiss sat inside, her fingers working furiously as they scratched the bare skin on her legs. In the dim light from the fire outside she could see that they were red. Was it from her own scratching, or some other form of irritation?

"Weiss?" she asked. "What's going on?"

"Mosquitoes!" her partner snapped. "They must be everywhere, because my legs will not stop itching!"

Ruby stepped closer, and gasped as she looked down at her partner's legs to get a closer look. Rough patches of red extended from her calves to her thighs, seemingly at random. Those were not like any mosquito bites Ruby had ever seen.

"Weiss, that doesn't look good."

"Really, Ruby?" she bit back angrily. "I had no idea! The constant itching must have distracted me from the ugly red skin ruining my perfect legs!"

Ruby winced. Yeah, her partner was not in a good place right now. It was like the first week of Beacon all over again. An angry, irritable Weiss was never a good thing. Even if she was mad at her situation rather than at her partner, being on the receiving end of Weiss' wrath was never fun.

"Let me go get Jaune," the redhead offered. It wasn't that she wanted to abandon her partner. It wasn't that she wanted to pawn the problem off on Jaune. Not at all! It was just that he was better equipped to deal with issues in this type of field. Maybe he knew of some sort of natural mosquito repellent or remedy that could help Weiss' plight.

She wasted little time in retreating, the frustrated snarl from her friend's lips only propelling her forward with even more vigor. In no time she was back at the camp fire, and tapped Jaune on the shoulder.

"What's up?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"Weiss has a problem," she told him gravely. The tone in her voice only caused his look of concern to deepen. "No no, she's not dying or anything!" she insisted. "She has a rash on her legs. It might be mosquito bites?"

Jaune nodded. "I'll go take a look."

He followed her back to the tent, and stepped inside with her. Taking out his scroll, he activated the flashlight feature from its camera flash, and directed its light onto Weiss.

Getting a better glimpse of the rash made Ruby gasp in horror. It was rough and bumpy. Red along with small blotches of yellow, possibly from infection. There were even tiny blisters scattered about, and Weiss' constant scratching would do them no good.

"Oh no," he whispered.

"What!" Ruby cried worriedly. If Jaune was concerned, then she was too.

"Not mosquitoes," he told them. "Poison ivy. It must have been when you fell earlier today."

Ruby winced. Growing up on Patch in a secluded cabin, she had been taught early on what poison ivy looked like, and to avoid it. She had never come into contact with the stuff, and after seeing its effects on Weiss, she was happy for it.

"What do we do?" she asked Jaune.

"Please tell me there's some sort of cure," Weiss begged.

Jaune ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, sort of," he said. "Jewelweed.

"What's that?"

"A plant. A kind of natural poison ivy treatment. I'll go try to find some."

He wasted no time rushing out of the tent. It was dark out. He would be armed with only his scroll to provide light. But if anyone could do it, it was Jaune.

Ruby looked over at Weiss. She hoped that he would be back soon.

* * *

The waiting was the hardest part.

She didn't know how long it had been. Only a few minutes? An hour maybe? Time meant nothing when her legs refused to stop itching.

Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that the mere sight of Jaune would send relief coursing through her body. But there he was. Like one of the heroes from the fairy tales, he stepped inside the tent armed with a handful of orange-colored flowers. Like the prize that his princess had sent him off on a quest for. And now he was returning to her, the item in question in-hand.

He was her hero. Her gallant hero. Her peasant knight.

"How does it work?" Ruby asked, pointing at the plants.

"The stems are the key," he explained as he set them down. "The liquid in them is the treatment. So we just kind of break them open and squeeze as much of the juice onto the affected areas. Sound good?"

Weiss nodded. "Okay."

"Here ya go," he said as he handed one of them to her. Weiss looked at it, and then up to his face. Her hesitation caused him to frown. "What?"

"I... don't know how."

He blinked. "Don't know how to what?"

Her mind whirled, trying to support her excuse. "To put it on."

He smiled softly. "It's easy. Just squeeze the stems or rub them against-"

"I can't."

"You... can't?"

Weiss nodded fervently. "Yes. I can't. Would you... do it for me?"

There was a noticeable lump in Jaune's throat as he swallowed. "You... want me to put it on for you?"

"Yes."

"You know that requires me to touch you, right?"

"Yes," she insisted. "I just don't want to mess it up. I need you to do it."

He nodded softly, his eyes darting away and refusing to meet hers. "Yeah. I guess that makes sense."

Of course it made sense. Jaune was the one familiar with the treatment. He was the one who knew how to extract the liquid from the stems. It only made sense that he would be the one to apply it. When she went to the doctor, she didn't draw her own blood. She didn't check her own pulse. She left that to the professionals. To the ones who were trained in such manners.

And Jaune just happened to be the experienced one in outdoor activities. It wasn't that she wanted to feel his hands all over her legs. It wasn't that he had to make up for not feeling her legs earlier in the day by checking to see if her ankle was swollen, which she had foolishly refused. Certainly not.

A few snaps later, the treatment began. Relief came almost immediately. Drops of liquid poured onto her skin, and Jaune's hands which were saturated with the juices followed up as they began to rub it into her poor, reddened skin. It was ecstasy. Nothing had ever felt better than his touch in this moment.

"Yes..." she gasped. "Just like that..."

"Does that feel better, Weiss?" he asked in a hushed tone.

She nodded, a soft moan escaping her lips. "That feels so good, Jaune," she whispered. "Don't stop. Rub those healing hands all over me."

Weiss lost herself in the moment as relief washed over her. Her hero had saved her once again. He had provided her with shelter. He had provided her with food. And now he was curing her injuries. She would have been helpless without his expertise.

"Right there," she gasped. "That's the spot."

His touch was soft and gentle. Who knew that such large and rough looking hands could be so gentle? Who knew that her flawless, porcelain skin would enjoy the touch of those calluses he had developed from gripping the handle of a sword?

Or maybe those calluses had come from another... physical activity?

Weiss stopped that train of thought from going forward.

She was better than this! She was evolved! She was Weiss Schnee! Not some member of a primitive hunter-gatherer tribe seeking out a strong mate! Jaune's abilities and skills out in the middle of nowhere didn't matter when she and everyone else lived inside the walled, safe cities of Remnant's kingdoms!

 _But you are a huntress,_ her mind told her. _Hunter. Huntress. What's the difference?_

 _Shut up! I am not having this conversation._

 _Yes you are._

 _I said shut up!_

"Weiss? Everything okay?"

Her eyes snapped open to reveal concerned blue eyes looking down at her. It took a moment to realize her breaths were coming out heavy and ragged. It took another to get herself under control.

"Yes. I'm just fine," she lied.

She wasn't fine. Anything but fine.

"Hey, where'd Ruby go?" he suddenly asked.

Weiss looked around. She was indeed no longer inside the tent. She hadn't seen her partner leave.

Not that her mind had been focused enough to notice the other girl leave.

The rash on her legs was the least of the itches she was feeling tonight.

* * *

Yang looked up from the blazing fire to see Ruby hurrying over back to them. Her face was distraught. Uh oh. Had Weiss yelled at her again?

"Hey, Ruby," she greeted. "Everything o-"

"I don't wanna talk about it!" her sister yelled.

As Ruby rushed past her, Yang noted how her face was nearly as red as the cloak she wore. She sincerely hoped that Ruby wasn't coming down with some sort of illness. Maybe the extended time outdoors was just getting to her. It had certainly made Weiss jumpy and irritable as of late. That poor girl just couldn't handle being away from civilization.

Maybe a little more one on one time with Jaune would help her feel better.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** She's breaking.

As always, thanks for reading.


	4. Chapter 4

The sweet, polluted air of Vale filled Weiss' lungs as she stepped out of the air ship. Never before had she been so happy to breathe in the contaminants of modern urban life. However, after the ordeal she had just been through, this was a welcome return. She almost wanted to fall to her knees and kiss the very ground beneath her.

"Ah, home sweet home," Yang announced, her arms stretched over her head and earning several satisfying pops. "It's going to feel so good to finally sleep on a bed again."

Weiss couldn't agree more with her teammate's sentiment. Normal life, and all the normal luxuries she took for granted, would finally be returned to her. No more sleeping on the ground. No more bugs. No more heat. No more primitive bathroom conditions. No more-

"Yeah, and I'm going to finally get to shave this thing off," Jaune said as he motioned to his facial hair.

No more beard!

Weiss' eyes widened as she looked at Jaune. Three days without a razor had allowed the young man to grow a fine looking stubble. Nowhere near a full beard yet, but it was far fuller than a five o'clock shadow. And he was just going to shave it off? Erase three days of progress?

Unacceptable!

"Yeah, you totally need to get rid of that thing," Yang agreed. "Almost makes you look like my dad. You're only a few dad jokes away from being a younger version of him."

The heiress shot her blonde teammate a dirty glare. How dare she be so supportive of this!

Jaune laughed. "Well that's reason enough for me. You guys can hop on the next Bullhead back to Beacon. I'm actually gonna go and find a store downtown where I can get a razor and some shaving gel. I kinda ran out of it before the trip."

Weiss entered full panic mode. If Jaune was left to his own devices, the beard would be gone by the end of the day. She couldn't allow that to happen. It looked so... good on him. As an authority on fashion, she could not just sit back and let someone mutilate themselves in such a manner. It was her responsibility, no, her duty to make Jaune keep that beard. For his own good. He might finally succeed in attracting the attention of a girl if he kept his masculine facial hair.

 _Someone like you?_ her mind asked.

 _No!_

Not at all someone like her. Someone else. Someone more in his league. Some other commoner. They would both be happy, and Weiss Schnee was nothing if not charitable. Philanthropy ran in her blood, and if she could help Jaune win the heart of some young maiden out there, then she would be more than happy to do so!

"Sounds good," Yang agreed.

"Yup. I'll see all you guys in a little while."

Jaune turned to leave the air ship station, but was stopped in his tracks at Weiss' sudden outburst. "No!" she shouted. "You can't!"

He looked at her, those deep, blue eyes of his concerned as they examined her. "Why not? Is everything okay, Weiss? Is your rash acting up again?"

Weiss swallowed. He was still worried about her. It felt nice for someone to care so much about her. She never got that kind of feeling back home. Still, Jaune talking about her rash in public seemed horribly distasteful. Even if it was something as innocent as poison ivy.

"No, it's not that," she insisted, hopefully putting an end to such talk. "It's because... because I'm hungry!"

"Hi, Hungry, I'm Yang," the blonde girl replied amusingly.

"Yang, shut up!" Weiss snarled. "And didn't you just condemn such poor quality 'dad jokes'?" she continued, making air quotes with her fingers.

Yang gasped, as if physically wounded. "You take that back."

Weiss held up a hand, putting a stop to the conversation before it could go on. "I'm positively famished after such a long weekend away from Beacon." Pale blue eyes went wide as she realized one of the implications such a statement might entail. "N-not that I'm saying that your cooking was insufficient, Jaune," she insisted. "Your ability to catch and cook fish was simply... wonderful."

A small smile slipped onto her lips. Yes. She held many fond memories of Jaune and her going fishing. Of him getting filthy. Of him putting all of his survival skills on display. Killing for her. Providing for her. Healing her. Being the exact opposite kind of man she had grown so familiar with back in Atlas.

"Well, there's no reason you can't go grab something quick to eat," Jaune explained. "There's little stands and vending machines all over the place."

That may have been true, but it would not stop Jaune from going to the store. The beard must be preserved at all costs. And that meant they would have to go somewhere together. They would have to get dinner together. Not just some little stand like A Simple Wok where they could get a quick bowl of noodles.

"No," she disagreed. "You have to eat me out at a nice restaurant."

The sound of two sisters sputtering and choking on their very breaths made Weiss realize what she had just said.

"W-what?" Jaune asked unsurely.

"I said you have to take me out to eat!" she said far louder and forcibly than necessary. Compensating for her tongue's accidental jumbling of words. Her face felt as though it was on fire after her verbal slipup. She could only imagine how red her skin must have been.

She wanted to die. Right then and there. Weiss couldn't believe what she had just said. She was supposed to be free of such thoughts now that she was away from that stupid forest. And yet she had just made a complete and utter fool of herself in front of all her friends. She should just quit Beacon and go off to Shade Academy where no one would ever see her again. A nice fresh start away from these people who would probably never let her live her mistake down. Especially Yang.

Said blonde girl shot a sudden glare at her sister. "Wait a minute. Ruby, why are _you_ freaked out by what Weiss just said?"

Ruby's eyes darted away from her sister, promptly looking down to her boots. "Uh... nothing! I mean, no reason!"

"There'd better not be a reason! Weiss didn't say anything unusual at all. Got it?"

Her leader nodded emphatically.

Weiss knew better. She silently begged the gods to kill her where she stood. At least then the embarrassment would be over.

"Well, I suppose a nice, filling mean would be nice," Jaune said, thankfully cutting through the awkwardness which hung in the air. "Did you have a place in mind?"

She did not. The destination didn't matter. Only the distraction. "No. But in a city as big as Vale we should not be lacking in options."

"You're right about that." Jaune's face suddenly lit up, as if struck with inspiration. "Oh! I read about this place called the Vermillion Garden once. It's supposed to have really good Mistrali food."

"Hey, I'm down for some Mistrali," Yang agreed.

Weiss didn't know how to feel about Yang's sudden inclusion on her plans. On one hand, more people offered more distractions. Yang was known for getting into all sorts of trouble. On the other, the more people who went along, the less direct control Weiss would have over Jaune. The more likely he would be willing to briefly break off from the group in order to make a quick shopping trip.

To Weiss' surprise, aid came from a most unexpected source. "Wait, Yang. You can't!"

It had been Ruby who spoke. There was anxiety in those wide, silver eyes of hers. Weiss couldn't explain the reason for it either.

"Huh? Why not?"

The younger of the two sisters approached Yang, standing up on the tips of her toes as she leaned in to whisper something in the blonde girl's ear. As the seconds passed, Yang's own eyes grew wider. Weiss had no idea what was being said to her, but she was sure it wasn't good.

"Oh," Yang said with sudden understanding. "Oooooh..." The look she then gave to Weiss sent shivers down the heiress' spine. Yang redirected her attention to the rest of the group. "Come on, guys. Let's all head back to Beacon."

Weiss did not like the look on Yang's face one bit. She had no idea what was going on, but she was certain it could not be good.

"And Ruby, when we get back we're going to have a nice, sisterly talk." Lilac eyes seemed to focus on Blake for a split second. "Alone."

The two groups parted ways. Six teens headed for one of the air ship terminals where a Bullhead would bring them back to Beacon. The two remaining stood in place as they watched their friends leave.

She was alone with him now. Again. Alone with her thoughts again. No one to distract her. No one to take her mind off of him.

It was odd that she preferred it like this. And yet, she wouldn't have it any other way.

* * *

Jaune Arc was an idiot.

She had known that since first meeting the boy. She had seen it on display time and time again over the course of attending Beacon. However, seeing it live, up close and in person just put it on a whole different level.

"Wait, I could have sworn it was this way," the boy insisted.

Weiss let out a frustrated sigh.

They had been walking for a good thirty minutes now. Jaune's scroll was out in front of him, a map on the device's screen that he was trying desperately to follow. Just how hard was it to follow a map anyway?

"We're supposed to go down Maple Street," he mused aloud. "We're on Maple Street!"

Weiss glanced over at the street sign to the left of the intersection. They were on Emerald Avenue.

Jaune sighed with frustration of his own. "I'm sorry, Weiss," he said softly. Sadly. "I know you're hungry, but I just can't find this place."

She actually wasn't hungry. It didn't matter to her if he never found the restaurant he was looking for.

And yet... a small part inside of her felt the twinge of sadness in his voice. Guilt. Remorse. He was doing his best to find this place because she was hungry. Or at least he thought she was. And failing to do so was making him upset. His failure to provide for her upset him. It was so...

Sweet.

Jaune had done all he could to help her out over the weekend. He had succeeded in doing so with flying colors. He had done everything correctly. He had made the camping trip bearable. His expertise had saved everyone from having a miserable experience.

Now here he was, failing. Completely and utterly.

And it hurt him.

It hurt her too.

"Here," Weiss said softly, placing a hand on the scroll and moving it so that it was between the two as they walked. "See here? Maple Street is the next one over," she said as she pointed.

The boy groaned softly, embarrassed by how easily she corrected him. "Yeah, you're totally right. Wow. You really know your stuff when it comes to Vale."

Not really. Weiss was merely experienced in city life. Growing up in Atlas, that's all there was. A large, sprawling city. No nature to speak of. There was no reason for it up in that frozen wasteland. The only places humans dared to travel were the nice, developed urban centers. To someone like Weiss, reading a city map was second nature. Finding her destination took no effort at all.

"Okay, so..." he said as he stared down at his scroll before bringing up a hand. His finger pointed in the correct direction Weiss had shown him. "That way."

Weiss smiled. He was so utterly useless with a map. Seemingly useless in an urban environment. It was funny in a way. He had been so proficient on the camping trip. So confident. So knowledgeable. Yet out here, where the vast majority of people lived their lives, none of that mattered. As it turned out, even this big, dumb, peasant knight needed saving at times.

And she was just the princess for the job.

They were almost there. Truth be told, Weiss now really did feel like having a nice, professionally cooked meal. Not that the fish Jaune caught hadn't been good. However, there was a stark contrast between that, and food prepared by a chef in a restaurant.

If they ever managed to get there, that was.

"Any spare lien? I'm hungry and I need food."

The words grabbed Weiss' attention, as they passed an older looking man sitting on the sidewalk. His disheveled appearance and the cup which sat by his side told the girl that he could only be one thing. A homeless beggar. It was best not to give these people attention. Don't respond. Don't make eye contact. Just keep-

"Here you are," Jaune said as he produced a five lien note from his wallet, placing it in the man's cup.

Or they could do that.

"Thank you, sir," the man said. "Gods bless you."

Jaune moved on without further incident. Although he was now five lien poorer than before. Weiss frowned. Had no one ever told him to not give lien to these people? Had he no idea what they actually did with the funds they panhandled?

Apparently someone needed to educate him. "You know he's just going to buy drugs or alcohol with that, right?" she asked him pointedly.

"Or he'll use it to buy food."

She wanted to laugh. Just how ignorant was this boy? "He was lying," she countered. "These people come up with sob stories to prey on people like you."

"I don't know what he'll do with the money. And neither do you. What if I just made his day? Bought him a hot meal, like the one we're about to have? It's not wrong to have a little bit of faith in humanity, Weiss. Five lien is nothing to someone like you or me. But it could be the world to him."

He was right. To someone like her, five lien was indeed a grain of sand on the beach. Even to Jaune it was nothing to cry over losing.

Weiss was silent for the remainder of the walk. Apparently their environmental skill sets were not the only differences in them. He may have been stupid, but he was kind. Genuinely kind.

Just another way he was different from all the other men in Atlas.

* * *

Dinner had been... bliss.

The Vermillion Garden had some of the finest Mistrali food Weiss had ever tasted. And after spending three days out in the wild, it was the most delicious thing which had ever experienced. She hadn't known how hungry she had been prior to getting there. In hindsight, she was glad to have convinced Jaune to go out to eat rather than return to Beacon.

Now, however, it was time to return. To get back to her soft, comfortable bed. To running water. To a shower. Gods, did she need a shower. It was a wonder they were even allowed in the restaurant at all after a weekend in the forest.

"Feeling better?" Jaune asked her as they walked.

There would be no need to lie this time. "Very much so."

He smiled, a soft chuckle slipping through his lips. "Glad to hear. You know, I never thought I'd see you so... hungry. Apparently that camping trip really did a number on you."

If Jaune was referring to the fact that she had ordered more food than him, then he needed to shut up! Wasn't he aware that it was rude to bring up such things about a lady? Who cared if she was hungry? Eating was a human necessity! She would not be ashamed for just being human!

"If you wanna head back to Beacon now, feel free," he told her. A hand rose and scratched his beard. "I still need to head over to the store. This thing is really itchy."

The noise was like a pheromone to Weiss. _I'll scratch your itch if you scratch mine..._

Her fists clenched, and she silently cursed herself for thinking such a thing.

More importantly, however, Jaune had renewed his quest to get rid of the beard. This could not be allowed.

"Wait!" she said hurriedly as she grabbed hold of his arm.

"Huh?"

"You can't! We have to... to... see a movie!" She nodded confidently, pleased that her mind had come up with a suitable excuse on the fly. "You have tickets to see that new Spruce Willis movie, remember?"

"Weiss... that was a month ago," he reminded her. "And you also turned me down for that."

She frowned. She had indeed turned him down for that. Like she had turned him down every other time he made an attempt at asking her out.

This was different, however. Jaune was an entirely different person now. He had seemingly given up on his attempts at courting her following the dance. Following the favor he had done for her by forcing Neptune to speak with her.

He also had a beard now.

Which totally didn't matter!

"So?"

"So... I don't have tickets anymore."

"So buy more! This is non-negotiable, Jaune!" She remembered something he had said at the dance, and prepared to weaponize it. "Or is an Arc about to go back on his word?"

It was dirty, but she was desperate. Throwing his own words back in his face might perhaps be the only way to get him to see this movie with her right here and now. However, she wouldn't have been a Schnee if she wasn't willing to go all out in obtaining what she wanted. The world she came from was cutthroat and ruthless. She was a wolf, and Jaune was a sheep. He didn't stand a chance against her.

It showed when Jaune caved immediately. "Yeah. You're right," he admitted. "I'd be happy to see a movie with you."

"Good," she said smugly before producing her own scroll. "Seeing how you're totally useless with a map, I'll direct us to the nearest theater."

"Sounds like a plan. Lead the way."

She would. And it would be to the furthest theater away which was still in a reasonable walking distance. The longer they were occupied, the better.

* * *

Jaune Arc wasn't just and idiot. He had the worst taste in movies.

She didn't remember the name of the movie, nor did she care. All she could remember was that it was the most mindless, explosion-packed thing she had ever witnessed. Did the people who made the movie know nothing about dust? Dust explosions didn't work that way! She had half a mind to pen a letter to the director and give him a thorough explanation on why half the events of that movie simply wouldn't work in the real world.

Stepping out into the night, a wave of cool air hit her, sending shivers running down her body. Whose idea was it to be out this late? It was absolutely freezing! Especially for somebody wearing a skirt.

A soft breath from beside her earned Weiss' attention. Jaune was looking down at his scroll. "Well, the store's probably closed," he said. He rubbed his fingers along his cheek. "Guess this thing gets to live another day."

 _Victory!_

"Indeed," she instead chose to say aloud. Her next words weren't at all biased, and they did not have any intent to shape his future decisions. "You know, the beard actually looks good on you."

Weiss was surprised she had uttered the words. She wasn't the only one, judging by Jaune's tone. "Really?"

"Yes," she confirmed. "It makes you look older and more mature." _Rugged and manly too..._ her mind continued.

The boy next to her shrugged. "I guess. Haven't seen myself with it. Not exactly a lot of mirrors out there on a camping trip."

 _Don't worry. I've been checking you out enough for the both of us..._

Weiss didn't even bother to stop herself this time. After three days of camping, and after a night of distracting him from purchasing shaving equipment, Weiss had come to a realization.

She had it bad for a bearded Jaune.

The cold air wasn't the only thing sending shivers down her spine. She needed warmth. Her survival instincts which had forced her to partner up with Jaune on the camping trip kicked in once more. There was an obvious solution to her problem walking right beside her.

Weiss latched onto Jaune's arm and pressed herself against him.

In comparison, standing this close to him, Jaune truly did tower over her. His arm was so large and musclular compared to her own. She wondered what it would feel like to have it wrapped around her slender form.

 _I wonder if it's the only thing that's thick..._ her mind wondered. She was too far gone to care anymore.

"Weiss?" he asked.

"It's cold," she complained. "You taught me during the trip that we have to huddle together for warmth."

"...No I didn't."

He was absolutely correct. He hadn't. Still, it didn't make the act any less valid. "Well you should have!"

"Honestly it's not even that bad out."

That was easy for a guy wearing a hooded sweatshirt and jeans to say. Easy for someone with more muscle mass on his body to produce and retain body heat. Easy for someone with a nice beard to warm his face...

Like it or not, there were just physiological differences between men and women. Weiss was educated enough to know this. "Well, girls are always cold," she told him. "Don't you know anything, mister seven sisters?"

He laughed softly. "Yeah, I guess that is true," he agreed. "Would you like my hoodie?"

Weiss turned her head to look at the hoodie in question. It was filthy. Jaune had been wearing it for the past three days. There was dirt and sweat all over it. It reeked of hard work and physical labor. It stank of three days of roughing it in the wilderness. It stank of... him.

Of course she would take it.

"Yes."

Jaune removed the garment to reveal a simple black shirt underneath. He handed the hoodie over to her, and even when crumpled up it was massive.

It only got worse after she slipped it over her head. It hung so low on her that the bottom nearly reached her knees. Her hands couldn't even reach the end of the sleeves without having to bunch them up.

She looked utterly ridiculous. And yet it felt so soft. She felt so warm. The tradeoff was well worth it.

But now Jaune was wearing nothing but a short-sleeved shirt. Nothing to shield him from the cold.

Weiss once more grabbed hold of his arm.

"Still cold?" he wondered.

"No. But now I have to keep you warm."

A convenient excuse. One this idiot would never see through.

He blushed. "Yeah. I think I'd like that."

Darn right he would.

Weiss' heart was pounding in her chest. Stupid camping trip. Stupid beard. Stupid Jaune. Maybe in a few days this infatuation would all be over. Maybe once she returned to Beacon, and to civilization, she would no longer be attracted to him. Maybe this was all just a phase.

Maybe she didn't want to stop feeling like this. So alive. So free.

It was all she's ever wanted from life. The only thing her lien could never buy. And now thanks in part to Jaune, she had finally found her freedom.

The freedom from expectation. The freedom from judgment.

The freedom to desire. The freedom to choose.

The freedom to be her own person at last. The freedom to be Weiss Schnee and nobody else.

Even if that meant she was a very dirty girl. She was her own dirty girl.

Her tongue poked out to wet her lips. "Hey, Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

She looked up to him as they walked. "Would you... maybe like to go camping again next weekend?"

He smiled and nodded.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** A lot more fluff compared to the crack comedy of before. What can I say? I'm a sucker for White Knight romance.

Thanks to everyone for reading this ridiculous little story. It certainly went off in ways that I had not originally planned. I hope you all enjoyed the end result.


End file.
